


Helpline

by fish_wifey



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, Shintarou in denial, Sleeping Together, Sleepy Cuddles, sleeping problems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 12:29:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2025177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fish_wifey/pseuds/fish_wifey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shintarou can't sleep at camp, and somehow, touching Takao turns out to be the only help. Without wanting his teammate to notice any of it, he returns home after the camp is over.</p><p>Yet he still cannot sleep at night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Helpline

**Author's Note:**

> I sometimes forget this fic exists, then find it and laugh at Shintarou's behaviour. Cliched as well god may rain thunder on my head. However, it’s one of my early babies from the end of 2013 when I got into this stupid anime (almost all my knb stuff is from october-december, tbh).
> 
> Scorpios sacrifice a hell of a lot to the people they love, and their loyalty is crazy insane uvu

It started all out on a trainingscamp at the bay area, and he blamed it all under the circumstances as they presented themselves under the changed climate. After a hard day of running, jumping, swimming, and actually playing basketball on the beach and on a court, everyone was too sleepy to say no to a futon in the huge hall. The complete assemble of the Shuutoku basketball club lay together, side by side in a few rows, with Shintarou in the middle, surrounded by his sleeping teammates.

Beside him lay Takao, back turned to him and sound asleep. Shintarou didn't know why he wasn't off to get his own well-deserved rest, and the more he pondered, the less his mind accepted it should shut down for him to slumber. Sighing, and knowing how not sleeping would result in a Hell of a second day, he summed up logical reasons to his problem and possible solutions.

One hour later, with nothing working out (and he wouldn’t move another muscle), he let his gaze fall on the sleeping form beside him, who hadn’t moved much in the past 60 minutes. He could see Takao well enough without the aid of his glasses, while the rest turned out to be a haze and blur of dark colours not making much sense to him. On top of everything, he'd get a headache, and so Shintarou closed his eyes again and let the back of his hand fall on Takao's side.

All he wanted, was to rest his arm to his own side; however, fately designs had inched the two of them closer together than usual. The warmth emanating from the sleeping menace crept over Shintarou's fingers, his knuckles, soothed in strange, incomprehensible ways. For a moment he feared Takao was about to wake up from the minor disturbance, would have felt the new object resting at his back and cause a terror about it. However, as Shintarou's breathing evened out the same way as everyone's else, his worries started to dissipate and he finally fell asleep.

*~*~*

The second night held no surprises; this time, Shintarou wouldn’t be found tossing and turning and decided to be quicker to act. Hidden in the darkness of night, within the unsuspecting, Shintarou's hand rested upon Takao's back, who slept on his stomach this time. 

If Takao had noticed, woken before him or within the night, he never said anything about it. And Shintarou felt begrudgingly sure he would have, as teasing every last ounce out of the perfect detestable situation and not letting Shintarou off easy was his sole pleasure in life. When none of that happened, Shintarou kept up his new habit, only slightly worried about how it got worse throughout the week.

As Takao was always eager to point out, Shintarou prided himself to be able to sleep with his back straight and his closed eyes skyward. He would not move even the slightest. It came to a surprise then, on the fifth morning, when he found his eyes opening and looking onto Takao's face. His head had turned to the side, a weird sore making itself noticeable in the joint between neck and shoulder. Shintarou couldn't explain the turn towards his safe haven of well-rested sleep, as much as he couldn't understand why Takao had turned on his stomach and faced him too; although Takao, someone who slept any way he felt like it, turned a few times and even a lot of times in a short timespan, this event had caused Shintarou's hand to fall on the other's arm. He took his hand away as if he'd gotten burned, and searched for his glasses instead. All just in time, as Takao slowly woke up, alongside a few others around them.

"Morning, Shin-chan." Rubbing knuckles across closed lids and displaying a smile, Takao put his hand through his hair, grinning to him (and somehow looking like he could take over Kise’s modeling job; some girls would fall for those low-cut tank tops and their exposing views). 

"Don't be so perky." His sight back on full, he let his eyes gaze over for a quick glance, seeing Takao's smile widen as he kept his cheery attitude to himself and to the rest of the team, whio grumbled back about breakfast and sores and being unable to go on. Takao jumped up and shook his covers up, whistling and being the first one out of their sleeping quarters.

Today was the last day of their (Hell) camp, and Midorima, who had complained little about the regime (and more about not being able to buy the lucky items he needed) felt glad for it. Bad habits should be broken at their root, and this ‘touching’ thing definitely turned out to be one of them.

*~*~*

Returning home at Saturday night, Shintarou read up every article he could find on not being able to sleep, and took every precaution mentioned. Certain teas were drunk, a lot of exercises were done (although he knew it wouldn't have been the problem of last week, his bones still tired and his muscles are sore mess). Furthermore, one hour before sleep, he didn't read anything, watch anything, eat anything. Not exercising his head or body, not able to seek entertainment in any other way, he just tuned in to listen to the radio while sitting on his futon, until it the time to turn everything off came and to lie down for the sleep he had deserved to come easy.

Nowhere he had looked was any mention of human touch of another's body warmth. Yet, as the clock ticked by past 11 pm, Shintarou thought his solution to be made in the form of a intruding, smiling terror, shorter than him and with the knack to aggravate Shintarou, while not being disheartened by fierce glares. Shintarou knew none of this to be part of displeasing the gods or not taking care of his horoscope needs. Sitting up, he searched for his phone from the side where his glasses were as well, flipping it open and going through his contacts, closing one eye against the bright light while he sat up on the futon.

Debating what to do, Shintarou wasn't left with any other options. Not bothering with girls, he had no love interest to fall back on and ask a favour. He wouldn't use his sister for something so pitiful, and sliding in between his parents was just plain out of the question. Sad as it was, and knowing the best result lay within a certainbeing, Shintarou had no other options than to ask Takao for help.

Without sounding like he asked him, that is.

He composed a mail, and hit send. Placing one arm over his bent up knees and clutching his phone with the other, all he could do now was wait.

*~*~*

Being a heavy sleeper, Kazunari was surprised when he woke up in the middle of the night. One eye opened with a glare, to find the culprit responsible. When he saw the light of his phone flickering out, all he wanted was just to turn around and fall back asleep. It nagged him, though, someone would be crazy enough to reach out for him at night. Grumbling about idiotic people who better have something life threatening happening to them, he stood up, blankets drawn over his shoulders for protection, and looked at his phone display, which powerful lights glared the living shit out of him.

 _One received message from Shin-chan_. Kazunari, fully awake and blinking sleep from his eyes, when he opened the mail and read the text.

**Are you awake?**

"I bloody well am now, aren't I?" It's not what he replied after checking the time and his astonishment increasing by the second. Kazunari looked at nothing, feet getting cold as the blanket didn't reach them all the way anymore, his phone to his chest and a certain excitement trembling through his covered shoulders. He wasn't sure, but he'd bet anything this to be Shin's sleeping problems last week, to which he had woken up on the first night at camp and long enough to know the back of Shintarou's hand was on his body. He grinned at the memories.

*~*~*

**I am. What's up, can't sleep again and need my help?**

Everything about the message had Shintarou pacing in his room, like a camel in the zoo he once saw as a kid. First he wondered why Takao was awake in the first place, since he never had any problems with sleeping, until Shintarou's mind piped in his mail had woken him. This however, wasn't the worst of it.

'...can't sleep again' it was the worst of his suspicions awakened, Takao noticing. Not just that, he'd known all along, but never said a thing about it. A whole week, and not a single snarky remark, no knowing grin, no teasing, nothing.

'...need my help?' it's what he had mailed him for in the first place, yes. Shintaroufelt less and less inclined to reply, since all has gotten far worse within that single, simple reply. So easy, at the begging of his tongue, Takao would come in the middle of the night to help Shintarou. Not just that, no! Both would know and be conscious about it, sleeping side by side, Shintarou needing the human touch like a man needed water in the desert. It was preposterous, indignant, unreliable, and above all, embarrassing. He wouldn’t have it. Crawling back in the shadows, Shintarou wrote to Takao to never mind at all, to go back to sleep. He didn't crawl back into the warmth of his own futon, however.

Instead, he resumed paced, those exact thoughts running around like a windmill for the good part of what felt like half an hour. It was obvious, when his phone rang, he nearly jumped out of his skin and let the thing drop. Instead, he checked the caller's idea, heart still pumping out of bounds, as he reigned himself in and answered.

"What are you calling me for? Do you know what time it is?" Shintarou made it clear to be as irritated as possible, letting Takao _think_ he’d just awoken and Shintarou didn’t have any problems, all of this turning out be just a misunderstanding.

_"Hah? Hah!? Are you serious now, Shin-chan? You woke me up, remember? Pfft, you're gold, man, pure gold. First I get a call for help-"_

"I wasn't asking for your help," Shintarou had walked towards his window, pushing the curtains aside to open it, letting fresh air help to clear his head. He noticed a shadow in front of their house, but didn't mind it much, as Takao still ranting over the phone.

 _"-and I'm offering it up, without a fuss, you write I should mind my own business? Seriously man, stop freaking out so much and open the freaking gate."_ He sounded hushed, as if he wanted to be louder, but couldn’t. Takao has shown no restrain being as cheery and obnoxious in public when he walked around town with Shintarou, so why would he care if he was in his own room..?

"The-" Looking back, Shintarou saw the clear outlines of the silhouette now, recognizing the figure clad in a hoodie, a breeze touching his dark hair and lifting it.

"What are you doing here!?" He hissed it as silent as possible, not wanting to wake any of his family and explain why a stranger was as their front gate. Takao had the decency to turn around with a bright smile, the sound of it humming over the phone.

 _"You know what, airhead. You can't fall asleep and need me, if not in the ways other people might imagine. Although… you got dirty thoughts like that, mhn? I think we could arrange something-"_ At that, Shintarou hid himself behind his wall, hand over his face and irritation rising. Cussing into the phone it was certainly, absolutely nothing like that. At the same time, embarrassment made itself a bigger home in his chest. After all this time, he still couldn't handle his teammates worrying about him, specially Takao, who understood him and accepted him for what he was and how he behaved. On top of that, the stuff Takao said left nothing, and too much open for imagination.

"I can't open the gate. It's rusty and would awaken the whole neighborhood." A blatant lie, but Shintarou knew no shame about it.

 _"So...it's okay if I climb over the wall?"_ Shintarou let his head turn to the window again, seeing Takao had moved and had a good distance for a jump. Shintarou hmm'd his semi-approval of the plan, watching Takao take off and jump. It was actually a sight to behold; for a moment, Shintarou got tricked into believing Takao hardly had touched the wall with his hand and feet, practically flew over it in a high arc...

Closer now, he heard the landing on the grass in stereo. Both closed their phones at the same time, Takao walking closer to the wall to look up at Shintarou, pointing to the door. 'Can you open that?' he whispered, Shintarou shaking his head, opening the window in full and bent over with his arm outstretched. Takao's face blanched and for a moment, Shintarou was afraid he'd leave, because the hassle had finally become too much. As the thought crept over his spine in a cold shiver, Takao stepped a few feet away, bent his knees and started to run forward in full speed.

It took two steps on the wall, a crazy swing of his arms and the faithful hold; Shintarou hauled Takao up and into his room, still amazed at the whole outcome of one mail sent. Takao presence in the room exhaled through his shaky breaths, brushing his hands at the hoodie (which sleeves had felt cold to Shintarou’s touch) eyeing him with expectant eyes. Shintarou felt weird for holding his wrist and let go fast, lecturing Takao while he turned to his closet for a second futon and whispered his instructions.

"Make no sound, it's best if you shut up completely. If you tell anyone about this-"

"Like Hell I'd do something so low, what kind of asshole do you take me for? I didn't say anything about it, did I? Have a little more trust in me, Shin-chan." Shintarou happy he had a task making him not needing to look at Takao and showing his back towards to him. He didn't like the prickly, whispering tone, the underlying hurt creeping through it. Instead, he sat back on his futon, looking anywhere but to Takao undressing. Flinging his shoes, hoodie and pants onto one heap, he walked over to Shintarou's side, enjoying himself way too much again.

Which wasn't the problem. Shintarou had thought about this while he had paced circles in his room; now that Takao knew, it would be way much weirder and a lot more embarrassing to execute it.

"What are you waiting for, lie down already." Takao didn't have the slightest worry on his face, as well as no shame, and Shintarou couldn't remember seeing the other anxious about anything. People without a smear of embarrassment were a force to be reckoned with, and Shintarou lay back down in an instant, eyes up and trying to keep his insecurities invisible after he put off his glasses. He couldn't help himself flinching when Takao crept close, hauling up both blankets and rested his head on Shintarou's shoulder. He didn't dare turn his head to Takao’s, spoke as quietly as he possibly could.

"You're kidding me."

"Take your own advice and shut up, Shintarou. If I let it all up to you, neither of us would be sleeping anytime soon. Now be a good boy, close those beautiful green eyes and not another word." He said nothing like the kind of stuff Shintatou had expected, like 'this feels weird' or 'I'm suffering too' stuff. Plain and simple, Takao's head beside him, his limbs incredible close and touching at different sides of his body. Shintarou became as stiff as uncomfortable, while at the same incredible time, he felt loose and warm and at ease (and any thoughts of the things Takao had proposed before, in a joke...they weren’t on his mind).

When Takao grumbled something to his skin, put his arm over Shintarou's stomach, and settled against him; it was all sorts of weird, and at the same time, felt good, as if he belonged to Shintarou, to be like this.

"Stop thinking about it, Shin-chan, just sleep." In the end, it was just as easy as that.

*~*~*

When he woke up next morning, he felt refreshed. Even with fewer hours, a lot of worrying and biting his lower lip, ending up with Takao at his gate, in his room, and within-

Shit. Shintarou woke up to not only having Takao even closer than yesterday; his own arm had wormed itself beneath Takao’s side, his hand at ease looping around Takao's waist, holding him. To make things worse, their legs had gone on wandering while they were vast asleep; Shintarou's leg was perched within Takao's, who had one of his own hooked over. When Shintarou was in full possession of the state they were in, he felt Takao's thigh on his- _damn_.

His embarrassment knew no end; fully awake, he felt the same problem bulging through Takao's shorts against his own thigh. Being torn between pushing him off in anger or trying to gentle pry him off, his mind created hazy images of doing something completely different, Takao had the timing of a devil to wake up too. While being in the state between sleep and waking, Takao's being inched closer and embraced Shintarou, the smile on Shintarou's skin widening.

"You're so warm...It always hits me unsuspected...since you're always so cold towards me." Takao's knee moved against Shintarou's tenting problem, making his throat dry at the action and those audible words, muttered onto his shoulder, the whisper of something even warmer reddening his ears. And yet, he couldn't push Takao off, or maybe, because of it..? His brain had probably died between hearing those words and imagining others following in their wake.

As if everything which had happened until this point wasn't bad enough, Shintarou wanted to fall through the ground when Takao stiffened against him. The smile was gone as soon as Takao had noticed the twin problem between their legs. When the other had the decency to push himself off, Shintarou watched how he rolled on his stomach, creeping to the other futon, shoulders rising as the rest followed, hand rubbing his face.

"I'm sorry. Guess we cannot help it, eh?" He mechanically laughed it off, not lifting Shintarou's spirits but weighing them down like a rock. Watching the other like a hawk (what role reversal), Takao wasn't showing his face until he made it to the door, hands on the wood, turning but being obstructed by hair all over his forehead and covering his eyes, but not enough to hide the fierce blush.

"Is it...okay if I use the bathroom for a moment?" Shintarou checked the time on his phone; it was still super early, the sun not even fully up, his parents and little sister still proper asleep.

"You can use the shower if you like."

"Thanks.." Takao swaggered off, and when Shintarou heard the closing of the two doors in succession, he hid his face beneath his arms, trying to will his own hardness away with mere wilpower. Instead, he kept receiving images; how they could have helped each other out, with hands and mouths- The shower went on and Shintarou turned his back towards the noise; now he got tortured with (previously acquired knowledge at different camp situations) Takao being naked, the same body which had kept him warm and made him able to sleep, in his shower and doing- 

"Damnit." His raging boner became worse and worse, until he relieved himself by touching it, feeling awkward. Instead of attempting to think of something or someone else, Shintarou combined what his mind offered for release; both of them in the shower, kissing, skin to skin, Takao grinning, submitting himself to whatever Shintarou wanted, saying his name in husky tones and begging for release.

*~*~*

However hazardous and awkward the night and accompanying morning went, Takao returned to be himself (-or hiding his true emotions in perfect custom) by the time they had breakfast together. Shintarou lied to his parents about meeting up early with his teammate for a morning one-on-one ( _if only…_ ) and they sat in silence eating their morning meal together, Shintarou's eyes glued on the TV when Oha Asa started. A hassle, and he needed all his willpower not to glance sideways. He didn't feel a particular burning sensation, which meant Takao watched it as well.

 _"To Cancers who have a loved one; spend the day with them! Let yourself be romantically whisked away or ask your beloved out yourself. To those yet without, do not despair in sadness! A good friend is just as much worth as love, and will brighten up your day! Your lucky item is-"_ Shintarou sighed with relief when today's item was blue tea pot (-which he owned in several sizes and colours and from different countries), and didn't say a thing about today's prediction. His hair had stood up at the mention of a loved one, but he heard Takao snigger when friendship was mentioned. It seemed as if sleeping together as close as possible didn't hurt their loose friendship, and Shintarou was glad about it.

*~*~*

Shintarou didn't ask Takao to stay, and tomorrow being a school day, he felt bad about wanting it still. However, after hanging around and playing a few games at basketball (Takao never backing down from Shintarou's strong defense plays, smiling the whole time, and still not making jokes about the nightly events or those of the morning), they ate together (Shintarou not paying, even after Takao said there existed every reason he should be), and Shintarou walked Takao home. Not knowing how to thank him or what to say to make Takao stay another night, he got surprised when Takao asked him to wait a little. Returning after a few minutes with his school and his sports bag looped around his neck and shoulder, holding basketball shoes in one hand while the other shoved his uniform into the compartment.

Wordlessly, Shintarou hid his face from him by walking ahead, moving slow enough for Takao to fall in step beside him, as they talked about various topic without touching the one which made them walk to Shintarou’s place together.

*~*~*

"Takao, turn around." Takao blinked at him, smiling without an ounce of understanding.

"Oh come _on_ , you're can’t possibly mean to be still embarrassed about this!? Shin-chan, give me a break-"

"I told you to turn." Takao held out a wordless protest for another moment before he gave in, a resentful sigh topped with rolling eyes, the first Shintarou ever witnessed, in a double event to boot, before Takao fell to his side and showed Shintarou his backside. Wanting to get over this as quickly as possible and without feeling his whole body repulse at enraging Takao a second longer, Shintarou shoved his larger form over, put his arm around Takao and quickly hid his nose and general reddening face within good smelling strands of hair. For a painful second, Takao's body stiffened up, but eased up within an instant.

"You know they call this particular sleeping style 'spooning', when lovers do it."

"I'd thank you dearly if you would keep your witty knowledge to yourself and shut up." While Shintarou said it, he breathed in, arm tightening around the comforting torso, their bodies close and aligned in a calming manner. He felt at peace, even when all of him should be in an uproar. The strange thought for Takao to be his safe haven and bringer of a good night's rest, became solid truth once again. Taking the sound of the big, shit-eating grin in stride, hearing the mocking 'sleep tight, Shin-chan', it’s all good and well with the warmth of the smaller back easing into his chest.

He only woke up once. Dawn crept through his curtains. Opening his eyes, Shintarou saw the blanket had slipped, yet he didn’t feel any cold across his skin. He was just as toasty warm and comforted, breathing Takao's scent in and out with a taste of what they could have together chasing him. When Shintarou opened his eyes more clearly, it was due the felt movement in his hand. Through the night, alike their bodies, their arms had crept close to each other; the back of Takao's hand lay within Shintarou's palm, their fingers in the unfinished progress of linking together. It pierced Shintarou's heart and without a second's hesitation, he closed his hand around the other with more purpose, careful as he put one finger after the other between Takao's. There was no shame felt, this time, when he saw Takao's fingers moving backwards to meet him, grasping with a nearly-not-there-at-all, muted need.

Holding hands seemed just as simple as sleeping together, a thought which didn't feel as weird to Shintarou as it had at the start. He had no idea how to go about it, how to deal with it on a daily basis. But he suspected Kazunari would help him along the way, as he had done so readily up until now.


End file.
